Middleboro rotary work approved

Friday

Jan 17, 2014 at 1:45 AMJan 19, 2014 at 11:28 AM

Town officials were surprised to learn Thursday night that the Route 44 rotary work will go ahead after the state agreed to use the plan offered up by the town and the work could be finished as early as 2018.

Alice C. ElwellEnterprise correspondent

Town officials were surprised to learn Thursday night that work on the Route 44 rotary will go ahead after the state agreed to use the plan offered by the town.

The project, the state says, could be finished as early as 2018.

Frank DePaola, administrator of the state Department of Transportation's Highway Division, made the announcement during his keynote address at the annual meeting of the local chamber of commerce.

"I think it eliminates a large stumbling block for Middleboro's commercial development, business and tourism in this town," Dalpe said. "We are a geographic hub for the region, and that rotary's been a problem that's limiting growth in Middleboro."

Dalpe's first question after hearing the news was when will it commence.

"Frank DePaola said immediately," Dalpe said.

Dalpe said construction will begin once the engineering plans are complete.

Last year the state rolled out a complicated $25 million plan to route traffic from Route 18 to Interstate 495 and then on to Route 44. Town officials balked and countered with a $38 million plan that would use bridges as a flyover at the rotary.

Dalpe said DePaola agreed to use Middleboro's design after re-evaluating the plan.

She credits Rep. Thomas J. Calter, D-Kingston, with lobbying the administration to fund the work.

"Wow," said Planning Director Ruth M. Geoffroy, who was not at the meeting. "It's great. We've spent a long time trying to get this accomplished; it's huge."

Geoffroy said town officials have been asking the state to remedy congestion at the rotary since 1987.

"Right now economic development is stifled because of the gridlock. This will change everything," Geoffroy said.

"Middleboro put in a lot of hard work to get the rotary fixed. It's a regional problem, with regional traffic, but it will improve our development," Geoffroy said.

According to Heather N. Ostertog of Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, the engineer who drew up Middleboro's plan last year for a twin bridge flyover, more than 3,300 vehicles enter the rotary during morning rush hour and 3,800 in the evening. She said approximately 40,000 vehicles a day pass through the rotary.